The Christian Warfare Part 1, Book 2 · Chapter 27
CHAP. XXVII. Sathans tentations whereby he perſwadeth men to delay their repentance anſwered.
§. Sect. 1 The tentation alluring to deferre repentance.ANd ſo much concerning the ſubtill tentations of Sathan, whereby he laboureth to make the word of God fruitleſſe and vneffectuall for our conuerſion, wherewith if he cannot preuaile being repelled by the meanes before ſpoken of, & if men by their hearing of the word hauehave learned thus much knowledge that their cōuerſion and turning to God is neceſſarie to ſaluation; then he will in the next place labour to perſwade them to deferre their repentance for a time, till they hauehave better opportunitie and are more fit for this purpoſe. Let it be graunted (will he ſay) that it is neceſſarie that thou ſhouldeſt repent & turne vntounto God, yet thou mayeſt deferre thy repentance vntill thine old age, or at leaſt till the time of ſickneſſe, for then thou wilt be more fitte to perfourme this dutie, then in the flowriſhing prime of thy youth, when as the exerciſes of religion are ſo tedious and vnpleaſant, and the pleaſures of the world ſo ſweet and delightfull; neither needeſt thou to feare any in conuenience which will come hereby, for God is ſo gratious that whenſoeuer thou returneſt vntounto him he will receiue thee to mercy, for he hath promiſed in his word, that whenſoeuer a ſinner repenteth him of his ſinnes he will blot all his wickednes out of his remembrance: And therfore thou mayeſt inioy both the pleaſures of this life and the life to come, thou mayeſt repent time inough hereafter and liue a ſtrict and religious life, when the heate of youth is paſt and old age drawes on, which is farre more fit for theſe exerciſes: for what folly is it ſo to dote vponupon the heauenly ioyes to come, as that thou ſhouldeſt depriue thy ſelfe of thoſe worldly pleaſures which are preſent ſeeing thou maieſt inioy both?
This tentation moſt dangerous.Againſt which tentation it behoueth eueryevery man moſt carefully to arme himſelfe as being in it ſelfe moſt daungerous and pernicious to great multitudes, as may appeare by too too lamentable experience; for when as Sathan can no longer hudwinke their eyes with the vayle of ignorance but that they plainly ſee, that it concerneth their eternall ſaluation to harken vntounto the Lord calling them to repentance, then not withſtanding thus farre he preuaileth with them that they are content to delay their conuerſion and turning vntounto God, either vntill the time of ſickneſſe, or till their old age. And therefore it ſhall not be amiſſe to ſet downe briefly ſome waighty arguments, whereby eueryevery Chriſtian may be moued to ſpeedy repentance, and not to deferre their conuerſion from day to day,Motiues to perſwade vsus to haſtenour repentance. but to turne vntounto the Lord when he firſt calleth them.
§. Sect. 2 The firſt motiue to perſwade vsus to the haſtening of our conuerſion is Gods commandement, whereby he inioyneth vsus ſpeedily to turne vntounto him, that we may doe him ſeruice all the daies of our life, to which end he hath created and redeemed vsus and doth continuall preſerue vsus. Pſal. 95.7.8. To day if you ſhall heare his voyce harden not your hearts, ſo as he chargeth vsus not to reſiſt his calling no not till to morowe, for if today we will not harken vntounto him, he hath not promiſed to call vsus againe vnleſſe it be to iudgment. So Eccl. 12.1. Remember now thy creatour in the dayes of thy youth whiles the euill dayes come not, nor the yeeres approch, wherein thou ſhalt ſay I hauehave no pleaſure in them, that is their old age, as afterwards he expoundeth himſelfe. And Eſa. 55.6. Seeke yee the Lord whileſt he may be found, call yee vponupon him whileſt he is neere. Matth. 3.2. Repent; for the kingdome of heauen is at hand. Act. 3.19. And our ſauiour Chriſt doth inioyne vsus, firſt to ſeeke the kingdome of God and the righteouſneſſe thereof. Matth. 6.33. If therefore we wil not wittingly and wilfully breake Gods cō maundement, let vsus offer vntounto him the ſeruice of our youth as well as the ſeruice of our old age, for he requireth this as well as the other, nay before the other, and this was ſignified vnderunder the types of the old law, where the Lord requireth that they ſhould offer vntounto him the principall of the flocke, and ſuch beaſts as were whole and ſound yong and without blemiſh. So Leuit. 3.1. the Lord requireth that the ſacrifice which they offered ſhould be without blemiſh, and 22.20. Ye ſhall not offer any thing that hath a blemiſh for that ſhall not be acceptable for you. And Deut. 15.21. if there be any blemiſh therein as if it be lame or blind, or hauehave any euill fault thou ſhalt not offer it vntounto the Lord thy God. And for tranſgreſſing this law the Lord reprehendeth the people by his Prophet. Mal. 1.8. And if ye offer the blind for ſacrifice is it not euill? and if ye offer the lame and ſicke is it not euill? offer it now to thy Prince; will he be content with thee or accept thy perſon ſaith the Lord of hoaſtes. And verſ. 14. Curſed be the deceiuer which hath in his flocke a male and voweth, and ſacrificeth to the Lord a corrupt thing. Now did the Lord regard the beaſts, and hath he made ſo many lawes that he might hauehave the beſt of them? ſurely this is not Gods mayne end, but hee would thereby teach vsus to offer and dedicate vntounto his ſeruice euen our beſt things as the prime of our youth & our flouriſhing age, for was the Lord greatly offended when as men reſerued the beſt of the flocke to themſelues and offred the old, blind and lame vntounto him; and will he be well pleaſed that we ſhould dedicate our youth and the ſtrength of body and ſoule vntounto Sathan, and our owne luſtes and reſerue for him onelyonly our old decrepit lame and withered age, when as our bodies are full of diſeaſes and our mindes of infirmities? will any Prince accept of vsus if we ſpend the whole time of our youth and ſtrength in the ſeruice of his enemies, and when we are ſicke, old, lame & blind, offer him our ſeruice, and will the Prince of Princes thinke hee be well pleaſed if he be thus vſed? if Sathan and the world hauehave all the pure wine will he be contented with the lees and dregs, if they hauehave the ripe fruite, will God hauehave that which is rotten and putrified. If they hauehave our health wil he hauehave our ſickneſſe? ſurely it is not likely; for the Lord who hath created vsus redeemed vsus and doth preſerue vsus, doth looke to be ſerued with our youth health and ſtrength which he hath beſtowed on vsus.
§ Sect. 3 a. Motiue taken from the momentany ſhortneſſe of mans life.The ſecond argument to mooue vsus to haſten our repentance and turning vntounto God is taken from the momentanie ſhortneſſe and the mutable vncertainty of our liues; in reſpect of the ſhortneſſe of our liues they are compared to a pilgrimage, to the flower and graſſe of the field, to the wind, a cloud, ſmoke, vapour, to a dreame, a tale tould, a ſpanne ſhadow, and the paſſage of the weauers ſhuttle, yea it is called vanitie it ſelfe. And therefore ſeeing our liues are ſo ſhort ſurely they are al to little though they were wholy ſpent in Gods ſeruice; but ſeeing wee hauehave ſpent a great part of this ſhort time euen our whole life before our conuerſion after the luſts of the gentiles, let vsus thinke that inough yea farre too much to be ſo ill beſtowed, and from hence for ward let vsus liue (as much time as remaineth in the fleſh) not after the luſts of men but after the will of God, as the apoſtle admoniſheth vsus. 1. Pet. 4.2.3. But though our life were ſhort yet if this ſhort time were certain there were ſome more ſhew of reaſon why we ſhould defer our conuerſion; but as it is ſhort ſo is it moſt vncertaine, for wee hauehave not aſſurance that wee ſhall liue one hower, wee are tenants at will in theſe earthly tabernacles, neither doe wee know how ſoone our great landlord will turne vsus out of them; wee are the Lords ſtewards here on earth and we know not how ſoone our Lord and maſter will call vsus to a reckoninge and therefore it behoueth vsus to hauehave our accompts alwayes perfect and the bookes of our conſciences made vp in readineſſe. We are vncertaine when death will arreſt vsus and carry vsus to iudgment and therefore we ſhould be prepared for it all times; when wee goe to bed we are ſo to lay vsus downe as though we were neuer to riſe til we riſe to receiue our laſt ſentence, when we riſe vp in the morning wee are ſo to ſpend that day as though it were the laſt of our liues, for how many hauehave gone well to bed who hauehave beene dead before the morning? how many hauehave riſen (as they thought in perfect health) and yet hauehave beene attached by death before the euening? and therefore it behooueth eueryevery one who hath any regarde of the eternall ſaluation of his ſoule to turne ſpeedily vntounto God, and while today they heare his voice not to harden their heartes. Men vſually delaie matters of leaſt waight and in the firſt place diſpatch buſineſſe of greateſt importance, and therefore vnleſſe we thinke the preſeruing of our bodies and ſoules from the eternall torments of hell fire and the aſſurance of euerlaſting happineſſe and bleſſedneſſe in Gods kingdome to be matters of leſſe importance, then the obtaining of ſome vain pleaſures, vnconſtant honours or baſe commodities, let vsus turne vntounto the Lord betimes by vnfained repentance and according to our ſauiours aduiſe. Matth. 6.33. Let vsus firſt ſeeke the kingdome of God and the righteouſneſſe therof, and then worldly neceſſaries ſhalbe caſt vntounto vsus as a vantage in this maine bargaine. If our houſes were on fire we would ſeeke firſt to preſerue thoſe things which are moſt deare and pretious vntounto vsus good houſhould ſtuffe before lumber, Iewels before ſtuffe, and children before Iewels, but our liues are dayly in a conſumption et dum creſcimus vita, decreſcit, whilſt wee grow and increaſe, our liues decreaſe, and therefore in the firſt place let vsus ſeek to preſerue our ſoule, which is, our chiefe Iewel and not ſuffer it to periſh through impenitencie, whilſt we gaine ſome earthly vanities. But moſt lamentable is the practiſe of moſt who liue as though they were neuer to die, or as though they had taken of God a long leaſe of their liues which is to expire at a certaine appointed time; and this makes them deferre their repentance and to put the euill day far from thē, til at laſt death attacheth them & carrieith them to iudgment; and this appeareth by the ſcripturs and continual experience. Iob ſpeaking of earnal ſecure men ſaith, that they take the tabret & harpe & reioyce in the ſound of the organs, they ſpend their days in wealth & ſuddainly they go downe to the graue. Iob 21.12.13. So Eccl. 9.12. man doth not know his time but as the fiſhes which are taken in an euill nette and as the birds that are caught in the ſnare, ſo are the children of men ſnared in the euill time when it falleth vponupon them ſuddainly. when the euill ſeruant ſhal ſay in his heart my maiſter doth deferre his comming and ſhall beginne to ſmite his fellowes and to eate and drinke and to be drunken; that ſeruants maiſter will come in a day when he loketh not for him and in an howre that he is not aware of, and will cut him off and giuegive him his portion with the vnbeleeuers. as our ſauiour hath taught vsus. Luke 12.45.46. And we know what hapned to the rich man who ſaide vntounto his ſoule, ſoule thou haſt much goods laid vp for many yeeres, liue at eaſe, eate drinke and take thy paſtime, euen the ſame night God ſaid vntounto him, O foole this night will they fetch thy ſoule from thee, and then whoſe ſhall thoſe things be which thou haſt prouided. Luke 12.19.20.
§ Sect. 4 Moreouer how many may we obſerue in our owne experience who hauehave deferred their repētance frō day to day thinking to repent either in their old age or in the time of their ſickeneſſe,That many purpoſing to repent in old age are cut of in the meane time by Gods iudgment. and hauehave beene preuented and cut of by Godes iudgment? doe we not ſee that many hauehave beene taken away with ſuddaine and violent deaths, many depriued of the vſe of their ſences, memorie, and vnderſtanding, in the time of their ſickneſſe and hauehave ſo dyed mad, franticke, and ſenſles, many who come to their old age and yet are further from repentance then in the time of their youth. And this cōmeth to paſſe by the iuſt iudgment of God for what can be more righteous then that the Lorde ſhould contemne them at the houre of death who hauehave contemned him their whole life? that they ſhould looſe their memorie and vnderſtanding in the time of ſickenes, who hauehave continually abuſed them to the diſhonour of God in the time of their health; that they ſhould dye impenitent who hauehave liued in impenitencie, that they ſhould forget God when they are readie to goe out of the worlde, who would neuer remember him whilſt they were in the worlde; that God ſhould withdraw his grace when they are ſicke, which being often offered they deſpiſed when they were in health. And this the Lord threatneth Pro. 1.24. Becauſe I hauehave called and yee hauehave refuſed, I hauehave ſtretched out mine hand & none would regard. v. 25. but ye hauehave deſpiſed all my counſayle and would none of my correction. v. 26. I will alſo laugh at your deſtruction & mocke when your feare cō meth. v. 27. when your feare commeth like ſuddaine deſolation, and your deſtruction ſhall come like a whirlewind, &c. and v. 28. then ſhall they call vponupon me, but I will not anſwere, they ſhall ſeeke me early but they ſhall not find mee. v. 29. becauſe they hated knowledge and did not chooſe the feare of the Lorde. So Zachar. 7.11.12.13. the prophet ſaith, that becauſe the people refuſed to harken, pulled backe their ſhoulder, and ſtopped their eares that they ſhould not heare, but made their hearts as an Adamant ſtone leaſt they ſhould heare the words of the lord, ſent in his ſpirit by the miniſterie of the former prophets, therfore came a great wrath from the Lord of hoſtes, whereof it came to paſſe that as hee cried and they woulde not heare, ſo they cried and the Lord would not heare their crie. And therefore when the Lord calleth, let vsus anſwere Lorde I come, let vsus not delay our conuerſion from day to day, but ſeeke the Lord whileſt he may be found, and call vponupon him whileſt he is neere, let the wicked (now) forſake his wayes, and the vnrighteous his owne imaginations and returne vntounto the Lord, and he will hauehave mercy vponupon him, and to our God, for he is very ready to forgiue, as it is. Eſay 55.6.7. But if we contemne the miniſterie of his worde, and when God calleth to refuſe anſwere, if wee harden our hearts againſt the meanes of our conuerſion, & quench the good motions of his ſpirit when he putteth them into our mindes, ſurely it will come to paſſe, that as we neglect the Lord, ſo he will neglect vsus; and though hee call vsus today yet he will not call againe to morrow, but will let vsus die in our ſinnes without repentance. Let vsus remēber the fearefull example of Eſau who contemning his bleſſing and birthright, afterwards when he would hauehave inherited the bleſſing was reiected, for he found no place to repentance though he ſought it with teares, as it is, Hebr. 12.16.17. And of the 5. fooliſh virgins who neglecting the opportune time of prouiding oile for their lamps, afterwards went to buy when it was too late,Matth. 25. for the bridegrome paſſed by and they were ſhut out of dores. Call to mind the fearefull example of Pharaoh, who ſtill hardening his hart againſt Gods word ſent vntounto him and confirmed by many miracles and wonders, at laſt was deſtroyed with his whole armie. So Herode hauing hard Iohn Baptiſt willingly, and perfourmed obedience to ſome things which he had learned, yet becauſe he did not turne to the Lord with his whole heart nor repented of his inceſt, was neuer after called againe but left of God to his owne hardneſſe of hart; the like may be ſaid of Pilate, Agrippa, Foelix, Iudas, Demas Iulian the Apoſtata, who hauing not harkened to the Lords call, but quenched the good motions of his ſpirit, afterwards were giuen ouer of God to a reprobate ſenſe to their euerlaſting ruine and deſtruction. So likewiſe when as the Lord gaue the falſe propheteſſe Ieſabel a time to repent,Apoc. 2.21.22. and ſhee repented not, he threatneth his heauie iudgements againſt her; in a word this is manifeſt in the examples of carnall ſecure men in theſe dayes, who hauing abuſed Gods mercy and long ſuffering, and deferred their conuerſion from day to day, at laſt they are taken away in Gods heauie diſpleaſure, and as they liued like beaſtes ſo commonly they die like beaſtes: and therefore as wee louelove the ſaluation of our ſoules let vsus harken when the Lord calleth, and not harden our hearts againſt the good motions of his ſpirit, for if we be like theſe men in our wicked practiſe there is no hope we ſhould be vnlike them in fearefull puniſhments.
§. Sect. 5 Thirdly, we are to conſider that our conuerſion and turning vntounto godly, vnfained, and true repentance:The 3. motiue becauſe repentance is Gods gift. is the gift of God from whom eueryevery good and perfect gift deſcendeth, as it is, Iam. 1.17. And therfore we are to accept of this gift whē he offereth it vntounto vsus; for God doth not promiſe his giftes and graces, with condition that we may receiue them when we liſt, but when he offereth them, Pſal. 95.7. To day if yee will heare his voice harden not your hearts, he doth not giuegive vsus reſpite till to morrow: now God calleth and inuiteth vsus to to come vntounto him, now he knocketh at the dore of our harts, deſiring to enter that he may dwell in vsus by his holy ſpirit, and if we refuſe to let him enter, how know we whether he will euer knocke againe? if he doe not; what gaineſt thou, but the pleaſures of ſinne for a ſeaſon, and in the end eternall death? and what looſeſt thou, no leſſe a thing then euerlaſting life and an eternal waight of glory in Gods kingdome? well, yet Chriſt knocketh at the dore of our hearts, and if we will open he wilbe our gueſt and ſuppe with vsus, bringing his cheere with him,Apoc. 3.20. euen an heauenly banquet of all his ſpirituall graces, but if wee rudely ſhut the dores againſt him, what hope can we hauehave that he will come againe when he findeth ſuch rude and vnciuill entertainement? and then what will follow but that eyther wee ſhall neuer ſeeke after him, and then our caſe wilbe moſt miſerable,Cant. 5. or with his ſpouſe in the Canticles we ſhall long ſeeke him but not find him without great difficultie, yea perhaps wee may ſeeke him as Eſau ſought his bleſſing with teares and neuer find him?